Method and means for dyeing and otherwise processing rayon



1929- L. T. BROWN ET AL 1,733,147

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DYEING AND OTHERWISE PROCESSING RAYON Filed Sept. 9, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 29, 1929. L. T. BROWN ET AL 1,733,147

METHOD AND MEANS FOR DYEING'A ND OTHERWISE PROCESSING RAYON Filed Sept. 9, 1926 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZZame @WQQG @QQQQQQQQ 00000 00000 000000 Patented Oct. 29, 1929 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEWIS T. BROWN AND HENRY D. EVANS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO FRANKLIN BAYON CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND METHOD AND MEANS FOR DYEING AND OTHERWISE PROCESSING RAYON Application filed September 9, 1926. Serial No. 134,451.

This invention relates to an improved method and means for dyeing and otherwise processing fibrous materials such as rayon.

One object of the invention is to provide means for dyeing or otherwise treating rayon and similar fibrous materials in cop or package form so that they may thereafter be conveniently utilized in the various transferring processes of their manufacture by unwinding them from the packages.

Another object of the invention is to provide for dyeing or similarly treating the material in units or stacks containing a plurality of the cops or packageswhile confining the material to prevent the ackages from becoming deformed or ren ered unfit for use in subsequent processes.

Another particular object of the invention is to prevent the packages from bulging and bursting under the fluid treatment whereby to protect the fibers from abrasion and rupture and the strands from disintegration. Another object of the invention is to provide a more convenient method of handling the packages to increase the efliciency of the dyeing operation and to produce a more uniform and satisfactory result in the finished material.

Further objects of the invention are set forth in the following specification which describes a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for handling and treating the material in accordance with the present improved method. The specification is illus- P trated by the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts. In the drawings: a Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred form of dyeing-vessel or kier showing our improvements applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged axial sectional View of a stack or unit of packages, shown as partly broken away and illustrating the manner of supporting and confining the material during the dyeing or other process; and a Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the separator-disks or end-plates as employed between the ends of the dye-cops or to say,

or thread is wound onto longitudinally com-- pressible tubes to form dye-cops or packages which are arranged in stacks or units and subjected to end pressure to bring the whole yarn mass to substantially uniform density in all the packages. The dye-liquor or other fluid is then circulated through the mass of material by forcing it through the porous cop-tubes to cause it to flow radially outward through the yarn; or, vice versa, the fluid is forced radially inward to exhaust through the interior of the alined porous cop-tubes.

Attempts have been made to apply the Franklin process to the dyeing or similar treatment of rayon and like materials, but heretofore they have been unsuccessful. Materials of this nature are particularly subject to swelling and shrinking to an abnormal degree under treatment with fluids, so that when the cops or packages are laced end for end in abutting relation as in the Franklin process the material cannot be properly confined and the packages maintained in their inherent form to provide for unwinding the strands for subsequent processes of manufacture. That is the material will swell or expand to such an extent that the ends of the packages will bulge or burst and the strands in adjacent cops will intermingle and chafe, causing abrasion and disintegration of the fibers so that the material becomes unfit for use. Moreover, the force of the pressure of the dye, li j)uor or other fluid will tend to blow the fi ers away from the ends of the packages and cause them to be broken or disintegrated thus causing damage to the filaments or yarns. In fact, it is practically impossible to maintain the packages in their normal shape and to prctect the filaments from disintegration or disruption when the cops or packages are held in abutting relation with their ends in contact.

We have discovered that cops or packages of material of the type herein specified may be held end for end in series to.

provide for circulating the dye-liquor or other fluid therethrough by separating the individual masses with suitable disks or plates intervening between the ends of the cops. It has also been determined that the co or ackage must bebuilt up on a nonco lapsi le and non-contractible tube or holder so that the material will have less tendency to expand in the direction of the axis of the package. Furthermore, in order that the central tubes or holders on which the packages are wound ma not interfere one with another in stac ing the packages or arranging them in series, it is essential that the material be wound substantially flush with the ends of the coptube or holder. The present invention re lates more particularly to the dyeing or other process and to the means for confining the packaged masses in the units or stacks.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the reference character 2 designates a usual type of dyeing-vessel or kier having its interior divided into a lower compartment 3 and upper compartment 4, separated by a false-bottom 5. A suitable cover 6 closes the to of the kier and is held by clamping bolts Communicating with the lower compartment 3 of the kier is a ipe 8 for feeding the dye-liquor or other uid thereinto, and a second pipe 9 leads through a channel 10 to the upper compartment 4. A perforated standpipe 11 rises from the channel or passage 10 and the fluid isexhausted therethrough to flow out of the kier by way of the pipe 9. In some cases the pipe 9 may be used for the intake of the fluid and the pipe 8 to exhaust it from the kier.

A plurality of openings 14 are provided in the false-bottom 5 and projectin upwardly therethrough are a series 0 vertical rods or skewers 15 which serve as the centering-means for sustaining the units of stacked dye-cops or packages P in upright position in the kier. The rods or skewers 15 are screwed into spider-like bearings 16 projecting below the openings 14, whereby to rovide for the free flow of the fluid throug said openings. Conveniently, the bearings 16 have exteriorly threaded rings 17 screwed into suitably threaded holes in the false-bottom 5 and the upper edges of the rings are formed with circular beveled recesses 18. The recesses 18 prottom 5.

pipes in place in their seats in the false- The dye-cops or packages P are preferably placed in position on the standpipes 21 before the latter are set in place within the kier. In stacking the packages around the standpi s 21 the procedureis as next explained. A1 of the packages are wound to the same len h and diameter, the mass of material belng built up on cop-tubes or holders 30. The holder 30 consists of a cylindrical shell or tube having perforations 31 in its walls and a sleeve or covering 32 enclosing its exterior. The covering 32 convenientl consists of a woven or knitted fabric sleeve aving a rou hened exterior and pervious to fluids. he sleeve 32 is slipped over the rigid tube or shell 30 and its terminal portions 33 tucked into the ends thereof.

The first package P is placed in the stack or unit by arranging its end against the plate 20 at the bottom of the standpipe 21. A fiat disk or plate 35, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is then placed against the upper end of the package P, see Fig. 2, the axial opening 36 in the plate being adapted to fit around the sides of the standpipe 21. Another package P is then placed in position with its flat-end against the plate 35; another plate or disk 35 placed against the upper end of this package; and further packages'added in'the same manner with the plates 35 intervening between their adjacent ends. The standpipes 21 are of suitable length to accommodate any desired number of packages, so that the end of the upper package will come opposite the projecting end of the plug 23 at the top of the standpipe.

A slightly different form of plate 40 is placed against the end of the topmost package P with the plug 23 projecting through its central orifice. A ring-nut 4.1 is then screwed down onto the threads of the plug 23, suitable finger-pins 42 being provided on the sides of the ring-nut to adapt the latter to be turned by hand to apply pressure a ainst the plate 40. It is to be noted that the ottom plate 20 is provided at its center with a taperedhub or projection 43 which screws onto the lower end of the standpipe 21 and is secured in place by screws or pins 44. This tapered hub 41 also serves another purpose, that of centering The upper plate 40 also has a circular projection or hub 45 which fits within the end of the cop-tube 30 to center the topmost package in the stack.

It will be understood that when the ackages are assembled in the units or stac s in the manner as above explained, the ends of the cop-tubes 30 will abut the sides of the several plates 20, 35 and 40. When the ring-nut 41 1s screwed down on the plug 23 the packages will be held in position thereby, but it is to be particularly noted that there will be no compression applied to the mass of material surrounding the cop-tubes-because, as before specified, these tubes are non-contractible. It has been explained that the'mass of material in the packages is wound substantially flush with the ends of the cop-tubes 30. That is to say, the material does not overhang the ends of the tube, but on the other hand 1t may be wound just short of the ends of the tube. When, however, the material is subjected to immersion it will expand to such an extent as to close any slight gap between the ends of the co and the sides of the plates abutting the ends of the tubes 30. As a matter of con venience, therefore, the present drawings illustrate the yarn-mass in its expanded state with the ends of the cop flush with the ends of the tubes and in contact with the sides of the plates.

After a suitable number of d eing units or stacks have been formed in t e manner as above explained the cover 6 is removed from the kier 2 and the units laced therein in the position illustrated in ig. 1. Each stack or unit is set into place by slippin its standpipe 21 over one of the rods or s ewers 15. The stem 19 on the bottom plate 20 is thereby caused to seat in the beveled recess 18 in the top of the false-bottom 5, while the upper end of the standpipe is centered by the rod 15 passing through the plug 23. The wing-nuts 25 are then placed on the ends of the rods or skewers 15 and screwed down on the threads thereof to clamp the standpipes in place. Usually, the standpipes are disposed in staggered relation in the kier to provide fora maximum number of stacks or units oi packages, only two of the units bein illustrated in Fig. 1 by way of example. A ter the kler 2 has been filled with the stacks or units the cover 6 is closed down against its top and clamped in place by means of the bolts 7. The apparatus is then ready for the dyeing or other operation.

In dyeing or similarly treating the material the dye-liquor or other fluid is forced into the kier through the intake-pipe 8, whence it flows into the lower compartment 3. Under pressure from the pump, not shown, the fluid is caused to flow through the opening 14.- in the false-bottom 5, and rising in the standpipes 21 it circulates radially outward through the perforations thereof and is caused to permeate through the porous cop-tubes and into the mass of material surrounding the latter. The liquor or other fluid'exhaus'ts from the keir through the standpipe 11, channel 10 and pipe 9 and is again circulated back through t e same course as previously explamed. In other cases the flow of the fluid is reversed by causing it to enter through the pipe 9, discharge into the upper compartment 4 of the kier through the standpipe 11, and to be circulated radially inward throu h the mass of material in the packages P an exhausted down through the standpipes 21 and out through the lower compartment 3 and pipe 8. Any equivalent method of circulating the dye-liquor or other fluid may be employed, the method of operation of the present apparatus being explained by way of example only.

It has been explained that fibrous materials such as rayon are particularly subject to expansion and shrinking under immersion in fluids, but with the present improved apparatus and method of confining the packages the expansion of the material in the packages is rendered practically ne ligible. That is to say, by confining the individual packa 'es between the intervening separators or ates 35 the cops are'prevented from bulgmg at their ends so that the material in one package cannot intermingle with or rub and chafe against that in the next package. The rigid inner co -tubes or holders 30 prevent distortion of t e mass of material inwardly towards the axis of the packages, and while there may be some tendency for the packages to expand on their outer surfaces this has no deleterious effect on the'fibers. The natural constriction of the coils of winding prevent the cops from expanding or bulging on their peripheries to an great extent so that there is no undue ten ency of the fibers to rub and chafe against each other to become mashed and broken at thesurface of the cops.

It will be observed that, with the present improved method of supporting and separating the packages the masses of material in the individual cops are held apart and restrained from expansion to prevent any distortion or disintegration of the cops at their ends. Moreover, and most important, the strands are prevented from rubbing and chafing so that there is no abrasive action between the fibers and hence the material is preserved in its natural state. Stated briefly, the fibers cannot intermingle to become chafed, mashed or abraded and consequently the strands or filaments arepreserved from rupture or injury. The material thus comes from the dyeing process without injury to its fibers and the packages are maintained preserved in their original form so that the strands may be conveniently unwound therefrom in delivering the material to subsequent processes of manufacture.

The se arators 35 also serve another importaht unction by actin as bafiles to interrupt the flow of the fluid on the outside of the standpipes 21. That is to say they close the passages between the standpipes 21 and the co -tubes 30 so that the dye-liquor circulatin tirough the perforations 22 in the pipes 1s caused to flow radially outward through the material.

It is to be understood that while we have herein described and illustrated a preferred construction of the apparatus for carrymg out the dyeing process in accordance with the improved method, the invention is not limited to any particular form of apparatus or to the exact steps in the process itself.

What we claim as novel and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An improved process for dyeing or otherwise treating rayon and similar fibrous materials, consisting 1n winding the material on rigid porous holders to form hollow'packages, arranging the packa es in series inserting impervious separators between the ends of adjacent packages abutting the ends of their holders to prevent the material therein from bulging and the fibers thereof from intermingling and chafing, confining the series of packages at the ends thereof, and clrculating a fluid radially through the mass of material.

2. An improved process for dyeing or otherwise treating rayon and similar fibrous materials with fluids, the same consisting in Winding the material onto rigid porous tubes to form hollow packages, arranging the packages in alinement in units, inserting impervious separators between the ends of ad acent packages in the units abutting the ends of their rigid tubes to prevent the material in the packages from bulging and the fibers thereof from intermingling and chafing, confining the complete units at the ends thereof, and circulating the fluid radially through the masses of material.

3. The herein described improvement .in treating rayon and similar fibrous materials, consisting in winding the material onto rigid porous holders to form hollow packages, supporting the packages in axial alinement in units, inserting separating plates between the adjacent ends of the packages abutting the ends of their holders whereby to prevent expansion of the material in the packages and the intermingling and chafing of the fibers thereof, confining the several packages of the units between plates applied to the ends thereof, and circulating fluid radially through the mass of material.

4. An improved process of treating rayon and similar fibrous materials, consisting in winding the same on rigid porous tubes to form cylindrical packages having flat ends substantially flush with the ends of the tubes, placing the packages in alinement in series,

inserting separators between the ends of the rality of packages abuttin the adjacent ends of the tubes to separate t eiryarn masses, to prevent I intermingling and chafin of the fibers, confining the whole series 0 packages between end seyilarators, and circulatin fluid radially throu the confined masses 0 material.

5. n improved method of dyeingorsimi- 6. An improved method of dyeing or similarly processing rayon and other fibrous ma-' cons1sting in providing a perforated.

terials, standpipe having plates at its ends, winding the material onto rigid porous tubes to form cylindrical packages having flat ends substantially flush with the ends of the tubes, arranging the packages longitudinally of the standpipe between its end plates, providing separators on the standpipe intervening between the ends of adjacent packages abutting the ends of their tubes, and circulating fluid through the standpipe to cause it to flow radially through the mass of material surrounding the pipe.

An improved apparatus for dyeing or otherwise treating rayon and similar fibrous materials with fluids, rated standpipe, plates atthe ends of said standpipe adapted to abut the ends of a series of hollow dye-cops wound on rigid tubes surrounding the standpipe, and plates slidable on the standpipe to ada t them to be placed intermediate the ends 0? adj acent dyecops on the standpipe in abutting relation with the ends of their tubes to separate the masses of material to prevent intermingling and'chafing of the fibers. e

8. An improved apparatus for dyeing or otherwise processing rayon and similar fibrous materials, comprising a perforated standpipe, a plate fixed to the end of said standpipe, a second plate adjustable on the opposite end of the standpipe, rigid tubes surrounding the standpipe to support a pludye-cops wound with their ends flush with the ends of the tubes, and a series of intermediate plates slidable on the standgipe to adapt them to be arranged intermeiate the ends of adjacent dye-cops abutting the ends of their tubes to separate the masses of material in the individual cops.

9. An improved apparatus for dyeing or otherwise processing rayon and similar fibrous materials, comprising a kier, a series of skewers held within the interior of the comprising a perfo- I in the several cops.

kier, standpipes adapted to be secured in place by the skewers, plates atv the ends of said standpipes, rigid tubes on the standpipes for supportlng dye-cops wound with their ends flush with the ends of the tubes, and in termediate plates surrounding the standpipes and slidable longitudinally thereon to adapt them to be arranged in position intervening between the adjacent ends of the dyecops in abutting relation with the ends of their tubes to separate the masses of material 10. In an ap aratus for dyeing or otherwise treating brous materials with fluids, the combination of a kier provided with a false-bottom having openings therein, rods projecting through said openings, standpipes surrounding the rods and having bottom plates with openings therein arranged concentric with the openings in the false-bottom of the kier, plates adjustable on the upper ends of the standpipes, and intermediate plates surrounding the standpipesand adapted to be adjusted in position thereon to inter vene between the ends of hollow dye-cops surrounding the standpipes between their end plates.

11. In an apparatus for dyeing or otherwise treating fibrous materials with fluids, the combination of a closed kier, a falsebottom dividing said kier into upper and lower compartments and provided with a lurality of openings communicating theretween, vertical rods projecting through said openings, standpipes having bottom plates formed with stems fitting the rims of the openings in the false-bottom, plugs closing the upper ends of the stand ipes and provided with openings for the ends of the rods, nuts screwed onto the ends of the rods, plates adjustable on the upper ends of the standpipes, means for holding said upper plates in place on the standpipes, and a series of disk-like plates surrounding the standpipes between their ndlates to adapt them for I insertion between t e adjacent ends of dyecops strung along the standpipes.

12. A unit holder for dyeing apparatus comprising a perforated pipe, a late fixed at one end of said pipe, a secon plate adjustable at the opposite end of said pipe, and a series of plates slidable on the plpe intermediate its end-plates to adapt them to be placed in position to intervene between the ends of adjacent dye-cops disposed in series longitudinally of the standpipe.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures. r Y

LEWIS T, BROWN.- HENRY D. EVANS. 

